(WASHINGTON, DC) — Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced this week that federal immigration agents arrested more than 40 illegal immigrant truck drivers during a multi-state operation. In a post announcing the arrests, DHS said, “Too many American lives have been lost because sanctuary states have issued CDLs to tens of thousands of illegal aliens who are unqualified, poorly vetted, do not speak English, and have known criminal histories.”
The Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division (CVED) of the Indiana State Police recently concluded its participation in “Operation Guardian.” The coordinated three-day initiative, which ran from October 26-28, 2026, brought together Indiana State Police personnel alongside state troopers from 15 other participating states. Partnering agencies included law enforcement from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas.
Operation Guardian targeted secondary and bypass routes to eliminate avenues criminals typically use to evade high-level enforcement activities on major interstate corridors.
During the three-day operational period, the Indiana State Police was responsible for the following enforcement activity:
Total Criminal Arrests: 28
Total Criminal Charges: 36 (18 felony charges, 18 misdemeanor charges)
Narcotics Seizures:
Cannabis: 124.5 pounds seized
Methamphetamine: 6.1 grams seized
Fentanyl: 1.3 grams seized
Other Illicit Substances: 4.5 grams seized
Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) Enforcement:
Total CMV Inspections: 501
Total Out-of-Service (OOS) Violations: 136
Out-of-Service Vehicles: 85
Out-of-Service Drivers: 51
English Language Proficiency OOS: 8
This highly collaborative, multi-state enforcement surge directly aligns with Governor Braun’s public safety priority to establish a comprehensive, statewide drug interdiction strategy.
